He said this was among several matters discussed during his meeting with Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, here last Tuesday.

“We recognise that cooperation between the federal and state governments is important as Sabah has the resources that we can use together for the development of the country and state,” he said when asked to comment on the meeting with Dr Mahathir.

Mohd Shafie was speaking to reporters after launching the Cuti-Cuti Malaysia Domestic Tourism Campaign in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2020 at Kota Kinabalu International Airport, here yesterday.

Asked whether the discussion also touched on the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), Mohd Shafie said the federal government has granted administrative powers over Pulau Sipadan and Ligitan, specifically relating to tourism, under the agreement.

“However, security management of the islands will be still under the National Security Council,” he explained.

On his visit to Indonesia’s East Kalimantan at the end of this month, Mohd Shafie hopes his visit would forge greater cooperation between the two countries in the fields of culture, economy, tourism and security.

“Issues relating to Indonesian workers without permits in Sabah would also be discussed during my visit,” he said. - Bernama